Educational device



Nov. 26,1935. E. c. WHITNEY EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Jan. 51, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1- PUZZLE L A N O T A C U D E THREE Ll TLE PIGS l-rllullllllllllllllllll M) VENTO R.

Now 26, 1935.

E." c; WHITNEY EDUCATIONAL DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1934VAV/Ak 'ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONAL DEVICEApplication January 31, 1934, Serial No. 709,152

2 Claims.

This invention relates to educational devices of the character whichrequire, in their use, some degree of thought or ingenuity and which,consequently, may have, or may be made to have, some of thecharacteristics of puzzles. It aims to devise an article of this generalcharacter which can be used advantageously in teaching small children toread, spell, or make sentences, and which may also, if desired, becombined with a puzzle, picture, or illustration of some suitablecharacter.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a device constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device illustrating one of its uses;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the face of the device opposite to thatillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional view of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the slides or elements and thebar on which the slides are mounted.

The article shown in the drawings comprises a series of slides 2, eachslotted longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 5, and all mounted on a bar 3which extends transversely through the slots in the slides at rightangles to them. The slides' 2 may be of any suitable construction. Forexample, they may consist of wood bars of square form in cross-section,or they may be made of various other materials, such as vulcanite, thenature of the materials and the dimensions of the parts being determinedby the requirements of individual cases. Preferably the bar 3 is made ofmetal, such as brass, aluminum, or the like, and it has a head i, alsoof metal, riveted to it at one end and serving to back up the slide atone end of the entire series. At its opposite end the bar 3 carries aclamp which, in the particular form shown, consists of a metal bar 5 ofchannel section provided with a hole through which projects a reducedthreaded stem 6, Fig. 5, at the end of the bar 3. A nut I threaded onthis stem cooperates with the bar 5 to crowd all of the slideslongitudinally of the bar 3 and against the head 4, thus clamping themall against sliding movement relatively to each other. Normally,however, or, in other words, when the clamp is loosened, the slides maybe moved freely in their lengthwise directions on the bar 3 into anydesired relationship to each other within their dimensional limits. Thebar 3 holds the slides at all times in substantially a common plane. Inorder to prevent the clamping bar 5 from swinging 5 out or this plane,it is provided at its opposite ends with pins 23-43 which project intothe slot in the slide immediately beside it, and therefore serve to holdthe bar in the same plane with the slide. 1

The subject matter printed, stamped, or otherwise applied to the devicenecessarily will vary widely with the age, development and ability ofthe pupils, or other persons for whom the device is intended, and withthe subject to be taught, or the information to be imparted. In theparticular article shown, the faces of the slides at one side of thedevice bear letters which, by moving he slides, can be brought intoalinement to spell words. While a few letters only have been shown onthese slides in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be understood that usually all ofthe spaces will be filled with letters, so arranged that predeterminedsentences suited to the ability of the child can be made by him byproperly adjusting the slides. In some cases each slide may bear all ofthe letters in the alphabet so that the child can make his own words andsentences.

The opposite face of the device may bear similar characteristics orsymbols, or fingers relating to some phase of the study of arithmetic,or any other desired subject matter. For example, in teaching smallchildren to read, this side of the article may contain a picture ordrawing illustrating some of the words on the opposite side of thedevice. A small part only of such illustration will be found on anyindividual slide, and its elements may be so distributed that it will benecessary for the child to use some degree of ingenuity in adjusting theslides to bring these various elements into their cooperative or matchedrelationship to make the picture. The puzzle may be made more difiicultby mixing up the slides and having the child re-arrange them properly onthe bar 3 and adjust them to produce the illustration.

The invention thus provides an article which adds variety and interestto the present methods of teaching reading, spelling, sentencestructure, and the like. As above stated, the nature of the subjectmatter printed on the slides necessarily will vary widely, those shownbeing merely illustrative. Essentially the same construction can also beused in making puzzles not intended primarily to have educational value,but chiefly detrative matter.

signed for amusement, and these puzzles may consist chiefly of words orsentences, or of illus- Also, in teaching reading it is sometimesdesirable to make the slides wider and to use words instead of letterson them, as in the construction shown, thus enabling the teacher toinstruct the child in making sentences. While, therefore, I have hereinshown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood that this disclosure has been made rather by way ofexplanation than limitation and that the invention may be embodied in agreat variety of other forms without departing from the spirit or scopethereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. In an educational device, the combination of a series of slides,means for holding said slides side by side in parallel relationship toeach other and supporting them for sliding movement independently ofeach other longitudinally of themselves, said slides being slottedlongitudinally, a fiat sided bar projecting through the slots in saidslides and serving to support them for longitudi movement on said bar, ahead at one end of said bar, and means at the opposite end of said barfor forcing all of said slides toward said head and clamping themagainst movement relatively to each other, said means being operable tore- 5 lease said slides when desired. a

2. In an educational device, the combination of a series of slides,means for supporting said slides side by side in parallel relationshipto each other and supporting them for sliding movement 10 independentlyof each other longitudinally of themselves, said slides having elementsof a picture on the surfaces thereof at one side of said device andarranged tobe brought into cooperative relationship to each other byproper 15 adjustment of the slides, and also having letters of thealphabet on the surfaces thereof at the opposite side of said device,said letters being adapted to be brought into such relationship to eachother as to form words relating to the pic- 20 ture on the oppositeside, and a screw threaded member cooperating with said supporting meansto lock said slides together to hold them in their different adjustedrelationships.

ERNEST o. WHITNEY.

